fluke

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: a stroke of luck
the discovery was a fluke
Her second championship shows that the first one was no mere fluke.
2
: an accidentally successful stroke at billiards or pool

fluke

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
2
: a flattened digenetic trematode worm
broadly : trematode compare liver fluke

fluke

3 of 3

noun (3)

1
: the part of an anchor that fastens in the ground see anchor illustration
2
: one of the lobes of a whale's tail

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Starward, which is backed by Diageo’s accelerator program Distill Ventures, is the easiest whisky to find, but given the quality this is no fluke. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 7 May 2023 But the Terps were a step slow all game, and the win by Michigan was no fluke. Mike Preston, Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2023 But The Empire Strikes Back is the movie that proved that the first film's success was no fluke... and spawned the franchise that still dominates pop culture half a century later. Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2023 There are skulls in a field, a man puking fire, groovy astronauts, disarming visages, a whale fluke, an umbrella in the rain, cool fonts, arresting colors, and two Victorian-era children standing with a tiger (for Neutral Milk Hotel). Nina Maclaughlin, BostonGlobe.com, 23 Mar. 2023 This team is proving that last season's run to the Super Bowl was no fluke. Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 5 Dec. 2022 What happened in 2022: Adolis García answered any lingering questions about whether his 2021 season was a fluke by showing tangible success in just about every area. Dallas News, 30 Nov. 2022 Through a fluke of federal bureaucracy, his hiring practices were not subject to the same civil-service regulations as those of other agencies. Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2022 And the stubborn player in you says that was a fluke. Dave Clark, The Enquirer, 31 Aug. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fluke.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

origin unknown

Noun (2)

Middle English floke, fluke, from Old English flōc; akin to Old English flōh chip, Old High German flah smooth, Greek plax flat surface, and probably to Old English flōr floor — more at floor

Noun (3)

perhaps from fluke entry 2

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fluke was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fluke

Cite this Entry

“Fluke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fluke. Accessed 6 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

fluke

1 of 3 noun
: any of various trematode flatworms compare liver fluke

fluke

2 of 3 noun
1
: the part of an anchor that digs into the ground
2
: a barbed head (as of a harpoon)
3
: one of the lobes of a whale's tail

fluke

3 of 3 noun
: a stroke of good luck
won by a fluke
fluky
ˈflü-kē
adjective

Medical Definition

fluke

noun
: a flattened digenetic trematode worm
broadly : trematode see liver fluke

More from Merriam-Webster on fluke

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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